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Taking Linux for a Spin

But if your main interest is in giving Linux a test run, then you'll want a distribution that provides a full range of installation options with the least fuss. I recommend that you consider Ubuntu Linux. Though not yet widely known outside the programming community, Ubuntu is winning raves for ease of installation and use, as well as for its robust functionality. Ubuntu will send you CDs for free, or you can download the program. You'll have a choice of running it as a live CD or installing it either in parallel with or instead of Windows.

You can dip your toe into Linux without leaving the comfort of Windows.

I tried Ubuntu both in the live and install versions with a year-old Dell Dimension 2400, a fairly standard desktop PC, and I found it significantly easier to install than Windows XP Home. Most notably, it did a better job than Windows did of automatically recognizing my wireless network, local and network printers, and even an off-brand external DVD burner that never quite worked right with Windows. Equally impressive, it also installed and ran perfectly on an eccentric four-year-old Sony Vaio laptop that's crash-prone under Windows Me and nonfunctional under Windows XP.

Ubuntu fires up right to a Windows-like desktop, complete with OpenOffice.org--a sophisticated clone of Microsoft Office with word processing, spreadsheet, slide show, database, and drawing software. Also included are an Outlook-like e-mail and calendar program called Evolution, the Firefox browser, multimedia players, and many other nifty programs. Most of these applications even worked with my existing Windows files. Everything ran perfectly and intuitively. Did I mention that all this is free? And when a new version of Ubuntu or any one of these programs comes out, you can pick that one up for free, too.

That you're not in Windows-land anymore hits home when you want to install software that is not included with Ubuntu--in my case, a program to play DVDs, left out by Ubuntu to avoid legal hassles with entertainment companies. Doing that and other things in Linux occasionally requires some fancy tech footwork, and I was initially intimidated. But it took only a few minutes on Ubuntu's extensive and well-organized online forums--you'll find much the same for most major distributions of Linux--to get a simple, step-by-step recipe for the job. Even better, a new program called Automatix automates the process of adding dozens of programs you might find handy. And that's typical of the Linux world: By the time you wish for something, someone else will already be working on providing it. And usually for free, as I may have already pointed out.

If you just can't see taking the time to play around with Linux, you can dip your toe into open-source software without leaving the comfort of Windows. There are versions of OpenOffice.org and Firefox that run on Windows, and soon the e-mail and calendar application Evolution should, too. No need to replace anything; try them out in parallel with your current software and see if the open-source world does anything for you. Oddly enough, you can even run Linux itself on Windows: A version of Damn Small Linux is available for Windows, and others are in the works. Conversely, there is software for running Windows programs under Linux, including Wine and CodeWeavers CrossOver Office. And newer PCs with "dual-core" processors should be able to switch between operating systems without having to reboot.

Maybe this sort of gentle approach to trying out Linux will convince you to take a closer look at the idea of switching over your entire company. But don't kid yourself. That sort of jump wouldn't be without its trials and tribulations. The biggest potential hurdle: If you're reliant on enterprisewide software such as a customer-relationship management system, you might have trouble getting it to run on Linux PCs and you'd probably have to replace it with a Linux-friendly product.

That's a conversation to have with your top tech person, of course. But if he or she pales at the mention of Linux and tries to get you to dismiss it out of hand without clear reasons, you may want to consider the possibility that it's not just your operating system that might need replacing.

David H. Freedman (whatsnext@inc.com), a Boston-based writer and Inc. contributing editor, is the author of several books about business and technology.